Course Overview

A Bachelor of Media Design specialising in Interactive Design prepares you for the technical demands of the web design and mobile development industries. As you move along the course, you’ll experiment with a variety of interactive and dynamic design theories and be immersed in fundamental digital design processes such as front-end web development, interactive programming, and content management systems. You'll also devise interactive designsolutions in response to creative and technical briefs from industry.

Our Alumni

Careers & Industry

Interactive Design will give you the fundamentals in both user-interface and user-experience design; two highly sought after specialist skills for Front-End Developers, Website Developers, and Mobile Application Designers.

You'll develop the skills to learn concepts and processes relating to ideation, planning and prototyping of interactive design solutions, as well as the ability to prepare effective proposals and provide purposeful interactive experiences.

A significant focus will be placed on project-based learning through the development of interactive design and technical solutions in response to creative and technical briefs.

Career paths include:

Web designer

Front-end developer

Mobile application developer

User interface programmer

"We have hired several Media Design School graduates now (we try and get one each at the start of each year). I usually email my contact at Media Design School and ask him who the top students were for the year, then interview them. They are always young, enthusiastic about digital and the course has given them a good working knowledge of front-end, backend, design and the general direction of the industry, which means that they usually know where their strengths lie and what role they are interested in. We have had great success so far with our Media Design School graduates and we plan to keep hiring them!"
Brett Hancock Director, BORN DIGITAL

Student Work

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Lecturers

More information

You are introduced to the theories and principles of interactive design methodologies with a focus on goal-centric, platform-agnostic and user experience design.

A significant focus will be placed on project-based learning through the development of interactive design and technical solutions in response to creative and technical briefs.

Year 2

Through a combination lectures, group work and discussions you are introduced to interactive design from a historical viewpoint. You also develop a vocabulary and understanding of the concerns of interactive design to better analyse work and respond to creative briefs. This knowledge is put into practice as part of the studio component.

Year 3

Through work on your final portfolio, reflect on your specific strengths and weaknesses, self-promotional skills and develop awareness of how you could fit into industry as a professional. This helps to prepare you for the Capstone Project: Practice-based Inquiry and future employment.

To qualify for General Admission, you'll need a minimum qualification of NCEA University Entrance or equivalent, such as CIE or IB University Entrance, or, level 4 or higher Qualification from a related discipline.

NCEA University Entrance

NCEA Level 3: Three subjects at Level 3, made up of 14 credits each.

Literacy

10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:

5 credits in reading

5 credits in writing

Numeracy

10 credits at Level 1 or above, made up of:

achievement standards (specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects), or,

Applicants should also have a minimum of 28 credits at Level 3 NCEA in Art, Design or Technology subjects.

If you are enrolled at a New Zealand secondary school and have not yet completed your NCEA (CIE or equivalent) qualification you can still apply now for admission. When your NCEA results are available in January, we will check them and contact you.

IB and CIE University Entrance

More information on alternative eligible qualifications such as IB or CIE, click
here.

International Students

If you are an international student, you'll need to prove you have sufficient English language skills in order to complete this course. We'll be looking for Academic IELTS 6.0 (minimum), or equivalent qualification if English is not your first language.

Special Entry, Discretionary Entry and Cross Credits

If you don't have university entry, you may still be able to apply for this course. More information about Special Entry, Discretionary Entry and Cross Credits
here.

When you apply, you'll need to provide us with a digital copy of your portfolio.

Your portfolio is a selection of work that shows your skills and talents. It introduces you and your ideas, and shows us you have the creativity and imagination to be a student at Media Design School. There are no strict rules about what you should include in your portfolio. As a guide, it should include a range of
12 - 20 pieces of your best works that represent who you are as a creative person. We recommend including a range of media and styles. It is not imperative you include digitally rendered artworks. Here are some of the examples you could include:

Study at the Media Design School in Auckland, and you can assure your family that you'll be staying in one of the safest and most live-able cities in the world. Auckland is such a diverse city that, no matter where you're from, you'll find food and experiences here that remind you of home.

This wonderful city has nature on its doorstep and, in the same amount of time it takes to fetch a latte, you could travel to spectacular countryside or beaches, all within a stone's throw from the Central Business District.

If you're thinking about making New Zealand your home while you study for your world recognised qualification, you can find more information about making the transition to our beautiful country
here.

Media Design School has partnered with Torrens University Australia to offer a selection of our award winning programmes in Australia. Torrens University Australia, the first comprehensive Australian university to be opened in more than 20 years, will be offering Media Design School's courses in two exciting locations: Sydney, New South Wales and Adelaide, South Australia. These degrees will be of particular interest to students who want to obtain their qualification in a shorter period of time, as Torrens University Australia offers students the opportunity to complete their degrees at an accelerated pace in two years, not three.

For more information on studying a Bachelor of Media Design at Torrens University Australia in Adelaide, visit
Torrens University Website,

Media Design School has partnered with fellow Laureate Design University, NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego, USA, to offer our award-winning Media Design course in a city renowned for embracing digital and creative technologies. Located in the same city as the iconic San Diego Comic-Con International, the Bachelor of Science in Media Design will give students the creative and technical skills needed to enter the gaming industry. For more information about studying Media Design in San Diego, visit the NewSchool Website.